Two-stage snow thrower

ABSTRACT

A two-stage snow thrower for removing and throwing accumulated snow. The two-stage snow thrower includes a housing, a power supply, a longitudinal drive shaft extending from the power supply, and a lateral drive shaft extending transversely relative to the longitudinal drive shaft. A first stage assembly includes at least one auger is positioned immediately adjacent to each opposing sides of the gear assembly which receives both the longitudinal and lateral drive shaft. The first stage assembly pushes loosened snow axially toward the gear assembly. A second stage assembly includes an impeller that centrifugally throws the snow from the housing through a chute extending from the housing. A paddle is attached to each of the augers of the first stage assembly, and the paddles push the snow rearwardly toward the impeller.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to snow removal devices, and moreparticularly, to a snow thrower having two distinct stages oftransferring and expelling loosened snow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Snow removal machines typically include housings with a forward openingthrough which material enters the machine. At least one rotatable member(auger) is positioned and rotatably secured within the housing forengaging and eliminating the snow from within the housing. Snow blowertechnology is generally focused on designs whereby flighted augers movesnow axially toward an impeller that is driven integrally (single stage)or independently driven (two-stage). Impellers are usually devices suchas discs and blades that are shaped and configured such that whenrotated they receive materials (snow) and then centrifugally dischargethe materials through openings in the housings and then into chutes thatcontrol and direct the materials.

The known single stage and two-stage snow throwers have limitations inperformance which often result from the augers typically moving materialaxially and impellers centrifugally, wherein the transition volumebetween the augers and impellers requires a tertiary force such asforward propulsion of the housing toward the materials to push thematerial into the impeller(s). Two-stage impellers separate the drivemeans of the augers and impellers so that each can operate at slower orhigher speeds that improve their effectiveness, but in so doing, atransition volume is created. A need therefore exists for a snow throwerthat reduces or eliminates the necessity of forward propulsion by theoperator that also increases the operational efficiency of the snowthrower.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a two-stage snowthrower is provided. The two-stage snow thrower includes a power supply,a housing extending from the power supply, and a chute extending fromthe housing from which snow is thrown from the housing. A longitudinaldrive shaft is positioned at least partially within the housing. Thelongitudinal drive shaft is rotatable by the power supply and extendingfrom the power supply to a gear assembly. A lateral drive shaft isoperatively connected to opposing side walls of the housing. The lateraldrive shaft is also operatively connected to the gear assembly, whereinthe longitudinal drive shaft is rotatably connected to the lateral driveshaft within the gear assembly. A first stage assembly includes at leasttwo augers operatively connected to the lateral drive shaft, wherein atleast one of the at least two augers is positioned adjacent to bothopposing sides of the gear assembly. A second stage assembly forexpelling the snow from the housing, the second stage assembly includingan impeller operatively connected to the longitudinal drive shaft. Atleast one paddle is operatively connected to each of the augerspositioned adjacent to opposing sides of the gear assembly.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a two-stage snowthrower is provided. The two-stage snow thrower includes a power supply,a housing extending from the power supply, and a chute extending fromthe housing for allowing snow to be expelled from the housing throughthe chute, wherein the housing includes an exit aperture from which thechute extends. A longitudinal drive shaft is positioned within thehousing, the longitudinal drive shaft is selectively rotatable by thepower supply and extending between the power supply and a gear assembly.A lateral drive shaft is rotatably connected to opposing side walls ofthe housing. The lateral drive shaft is operatively connected to thegear assembly, wherein the longitudinal drive shaft is rotationallyconnected to the lateral drive shaft. A first stage assembly includestwo augers operatively connected to the lateral drive shaft, whereineach of the augers is positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the gearassembly. Each of the augers is formed of a base and at least one flightextending radially outward from the base, wherein the at least oneflight is helically shaped relative to the lateral drive shaft. A secondstage assembly includes an impeller positioned within the housing andoperatively connected to the longitudinal drive shaft. At least onepaddle is operatively connected to a peripheral edge of each flight ofthe augers.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a two-stage snowthrower is provided. The two-stage snow thrower includes a power supplyand a housing extending from the power supply. The housing includes arecess and the recess has an opening thereto. A chute extends from thehousing for allowing snow to be expelled from the housing through thechute. A longitudinal drive shaft having one distal end operativelyconnected to the power supply and a second distal end operativelyconnected to a gear assembly. The longitudinal drive shaft isselectively rotatable by the power supply, wherein the longitudinaldrive shaft includes a first worm gear adjacent to the second distalend. A lateral drive shaft has a second worm gear and is rotatablyconnected to opposing side walls of the housing. The lateral drive shaftis operatively connected to the gear assembly transversely with respectto the longitudinal drive shaft, wherein the first worm gear of thelongitudinal drive shaft is operatively connected to the second wormgear of the lateral drive shaft for transferring rotation of thelongitudinal drive shaft to the lateral drive shaft. A first stageassembly includes at least two augers operatively connected to thelateral drive shaft between the gear assembly and each of the opposingside walls of the housing. Each of the augers is formed of a base and aplurality of flights extending radially outward from the base andoriented helically relative to the lateral drive shaft. A second stageassembly includes an impeller positioned within the recess andoperatively connected to the longitudinal drive shaft. A paddle isoperatively connected to a peripheral edge of each flight of each augerpositioned immediately adjacent to the gear assembly.

Advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description of the embodiments ofthe invention which have been shown and described by way ofillustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other anddifferent embodiments, and its details are capable of modification invarious respects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention, and their advantages,are illustrated specifically in embodiments of the invention now to bedescribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdiagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a portionof a two-stage snow thrower of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the snow thrower shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the snow thrower shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the snow thrower shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A is a side view of an embodiment of a gear assembly; and

FIG. 5B is a front cross-sectional view of the gear assembly shown inFIG. 5A.

It should be noted that all the drawings are diagrammatic and not drawnto scale. Relative dimensions and proportions of parts of these figureshave been shown exaggerated or reduced in size for the sake of clarityand convenience in the drawings. The same reference numbers aregenerally used to refer to corresponding or similar features in thedifferent embodiments. Accordingly, the drawing(s) and description areto be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a two-stage snow thrower10 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the snow thrower 10 includesa power supply 12 configured to provide power for driving the two stagesused to remove or throw accumulated snow from concrete, pavement, or thelike. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art thatthe snow thrower 10 may alternatively include a cord to receiveelectrical power, an internal combustion engine, a rechargeable battery,or any other commonly known power supplies. The snow thrower 10 alsoincludes a pair of graspable handles (not shown) attached to the powersupply housing that can be used by an operator to control the directionand movement of the snow thrower 10. The snow thrower 10 also includes apair of wheels (not shown) attached to the power supply housing forallowing the snow thrower to roll along the ground while removingaccumulated snow. The snow thrower 10 is configured to remove piled-upsnow and propels, or throws the snow to a different location from achute 16 that is operatively connected to a housing 18 into which thepiled-up snow enters the snow thrower 10.

The housing 18 is a generally semi-cylindrical, or C-shaped casingincluding a recess 20 extending rearwardly from the central C-shapedportion, wherein the housing 18 is longitudinally oriented in atransverse direction relative to the forward direction of movement ofthe snow thrower 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. In an embodiment, thehousing 18 and recess 20 are formed of a metal material having athickness sufficient to withstand lower temperatures as well as therepeated impact of snow and debris that is being removed from asidewalk, driveway, parking lot, or the like. The housing 18 includes anopening 22 into which snow enters the housing 18 and an opening 24 intothe recess 20 though which the snow is forced before it is expelled fromthe housing 18.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the power supply 12 includesa longitudinal drive shaft 26 that extends from the power supply 12 intothe housing 18 for providing rotational power to each of the threestages of the snow thrower 10. The power supply 12 selectively drives orrotates the longitudinal drive shaft 26, wherein the power supply 12 cancause the longitudinal drive shaft 26 to always rotate when the powersupply 12 is in an on mode, the operator can selectively determine whenthe power supply 12 engages or causes the longitudinal drive shaft 26 torotate, or the longitudinal drive shaft 26 does not rotate when thepower supply 12 is in an off mode. One distal end of the longitudinaldrive shaft 26 is connected to the power supply 12 and the opposing endof the longitudinal drive shaft 26 is operatively connected to a gearassembly 28 that is positioned within the housing 18. In an embodiment,the longitudinal drive shaft 26 extends to the gear assembly 28 suchthat the distal end of the longitudinal drive shaft 26 is disposedwithin the gear assembly 28. In another embodiment, one distal end ofthe longitudinal drive shaft 26 is connected to the power supply 12 andthe longitudinal drive shaft 26 extends through the gear assembly 28such that the opposing distal end of the longitudinal drive shaft 26extends axially beyond the gear assembly 28. The longitudinal driveshaft 26 is aligned such that the longitudinal axis thereof issubstantially aligned with the fore/aft direction of the two-stage snowthrower 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a single lateral drive shaft 30 is rotatablyattached to each of the opposing side walls of the housing 18, wherein aportion of the lateral drive shaft 30 is disposed within the casing ofthe gear assembly 28. The lateral drive shaft 30 is operativelyconnected to the gear assembly 28 in a substantially perpendicular ortransverse manner relative to the longitudinal drive shaft 26. The gearassembly 28 includes a casing in which rotational power from the powersupply 12 via the longitudinal drive shaft 26 generates or transfersrotational power to the lateral drive shaft 30. The longitudinal driveshaft 26 is operatively connected to the second stage and the lateraldrive shaft 30 is operatively connected to the first stage of thetwo-stage snow thrower 10, thereby providing rotational power to each ofthe stages so as to quickly and efficiently move, or throw, accumulatedsnow.

The first stage assembly 32 of the two-stage snow thrower 10 includes atleast two augers 34 attached to the lateral drive shaft 30, wherein atleast one auger 34 is positioned on the lateral drive shaft 30 adjacentto each opposing side of the gear assembly 28, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. Inthe illustrated exemplary embodiment, the first stage assembly 32includes two augers 34 positioned on each portion of the lateral driveshaft 30 extending between the gear assembly 28 and the opposing sidewalls of the housing 18. It should be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art that although the illustrated embodiment of the firststage assembly 32 includes four augers 34, the first stage assembly 32can include any number of augers 34 positioned adjacent to each side ofthe gear assembly 28 on the lateral drive shaft 30. The augers 34 areremovably connected to the lateral drive shaft 30 by way of a connectingmechanism such as a nut-and-bolt, cotter pin, or the like. The augers 34of the first stage assembly 32 are configured to move snow axially alongthe lateral drive shaft 30 toward the gear assembly 28 that ispositioned at or near the lateral center of the housing 18.

Each auger 34 includes at least one flight 36 that extends radiallyoutward from a base 38 as well as extending at least somewhatconcentrically with the outer surface of the base 38. In the illustratedembodiment, the flights 36 include a base portion that extends radiallyfrom the base 38 in a generally linear manner, and an arc-shaped bladeportion that expands from the end of the base portion in a generallysemi-circular manner about the base 38. The blade portion of the flight36 is also curved, or angled in a helical manner about the base 38. Theblade portion of each flight 36 extends about the base 38 about onehundred eighty degrees (180) such that two flights 36 extending aboutthe entire periphery of the base 38. In another embodiment, each auger34 has a single flight 36 that extends about the entire periphery of thebase 38 in a helical manner. In yet another embodiment, each auger 34includes more than two flights 36 extending from the base 38 such thatall of the flights 36 extend about at least the entire periphery of thebase 38. The augers 34 can be formed of segmented or continuous flights36, or the augers 34 may include brushes incorporated with the flights36. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that theaugers 34 are configured in a corkscrew or spiral shape or orientationrelative to the lateral drive shaft 30 to which they are attached. Forexample, the augers 34 of the first stage assembly 32 are configure torotate and push or transport the snow in the direction from the sidewalls of the housing 18 toward the centrally-located gear assembly 28.

In an exemplary embodiment, each auger 34 of the first stage assembly 32that is attached to the lateral drive shaft 30 and positionedimmediately adjacent to the gear assembly 28 includes at least onepaddle 40 extending from the outer radial edge of a flight 36, as shownin FIGS. 1-4. In the illustrated embodiment, each auger 34 positionedimmediately adjacent to the gear assembly 28 includes two flights 36extending from the base 38, and a paddle 40 extends from the outerradial edge of each flight 36, wherein the paddle 40 extends from aposition adjacent to the downstream-most corner of the flight 36 nearestthe gear assembly 28. The paddle 40 extends at an angle from the outerradial edge of each flight 36. In an embodiment, the paddle 40 extendssubstantially perpendicular relative to the flight 36, but it should beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the paddle 40 can beoriented at any angle between about 10° to about 90° relative to theflight 36. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the artthat the augers 34 may include any number of paddles 40 extending fromthe flights 36 thereof, and it should also be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art that the paddles 40 can be positioned at anylocation on the flights 36. In an embodiment, the paddle 40 is formed ofthe same material as the flight 36 to which it is attached. In anotherembodiment, the paddle 40 is formed of a dissimilar material relative tothe flight 36 to which it is attached.

The paddle 40 extending from the flight 36 of an auger 34 is angled suchthat the paddle 40 is directed upstream, or toward the direction ofrotation of the flight 36 to which it is attached. This orientationallows the paddle 40 to push the loosened snow rearward within thehousing 18 as the snow thrower 10 is pushed or driven forwardly. Thepaddle 40 is configured to extend from at least a portion of the outerradial or peripheral edge of a flight 36. Because the flights 36 arehelically- or spirally-shaped, the paddles 40 are arcuate and have asimilar helical shape about the lateral drive shaft 30. In theillustrated embodiment, the paddle 40 extends from about a 15° portionor arcuate length of the peripheral edge of the flight 36, wherein theflight 36 extends helically about 180° around the lateral drive shaft30. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepaddle 40 can also extend from the entire peripheral edge of the flight36 or any smaller portion of the outer peripheral edge.

In an embodiment, each paddle 40 is formed separately from the auger 34and then attached to the auger 34 by welding. In another embodiment,each flight 36 is formed separately, and the paddle(s) 40 extending fromthe flight 36 is integrally formed with the flight 36. It should beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the paddle(s) 40 canbe attached to the flights 36 in any manner sufficient to provide ajoint which can withstand the temperature variations and stresses towhich the augers 32 are subjected to during operation of the snowthrower 10. Whereas rotation of lateral drive shaft 30 results inrotation of the augers 34 attached thereto such that the snow is movedaxially along the lateral drive shaft 30 toward the gear assembly 28,the paddles 40 are configured to assist the loosened snow in being movedrearward toward the second stage assembly 42 which is transverselyrelative to the lateral drive shaft 30.

In an embodiment, the second stage assembly 42 includes a rotatableimpeller 44 operatively connected to the longitudinal drive shaft 26 andpositioned within the recess 20, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 4. Theimpeller 44 is located on the longitudinal drive shaft 26 between thehousing 18 and the gear assembly 28. The impeller 44 is configured toreceive the snow from the first stage assembly 32, and through rotationof the impeller 44 about the longitudinal drive shaft 26 at a sufficientspeed the snow is expelled or centrifugally thrown to and through thechute 16 and away from the snow thrower 10. In an embodiment, theimpeller 44 is removably attached to the longitudinal drive shaft 26such that the impeller 44 can be removed and replaced. The impeller 44can be attached to the longitudinal drive shaft 26 with any attachmentmechanism such as nut-and-bolt, cotter pin, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an exemplary embodiment of an impeller 44includes a plurality of blades 46 that extend radially outwardly from abase 48, wherein the impeller 44 is attached to the longitudinal driveshaft 26 by sliding the base 48 over the outer surface of thelongitudinal drive shaft 26 and securing the impeller 44 to the driveshaft 26 by way of an attachment mechanism such as a nut-and-bolt, acotter pin, or the like. In an embodiment, each blade 46 includes a tip50 that extends from the end of the blade 46 in a curved manner. Thetips 50 are curved in the direction of rotation of the impeller 44. Thecurved tips 50 assist in maintaining contact between the snow and theblades 46 as the impeller 44 rotates, thereby preventing the snow fromsliding past the end of the blades 46 into the gap between the blades 46and the recess 20 before the snow is thrown into and from the chute 16.Preventing the snow from sliding past the end of the blades 46 resultsin less re-circulation of the snow within the recess 20, thereby makingthe snow thrower 10 more efficient in expelling the snow. Whereas theaugers 34 are configured to push snow axially, the impeller 44 isconfigured to move or throw snow in a radial direction away from theaxis of rotation of the impeller 44.

The gear assembly 28 is configured to transfer the rotational power fromthe power supply 12 via the longitudinal drive shaft 26 to the lateraldrive shaft 30, as shown in FIGS. 5A-5B. In an embodiment, the wormgears 52 formed on the outer surfaces of both the longitudinal andlateral drive shafts 26, 30 are directly meshingly engaged within thegear assembly 28 such that the rotational power is directly transferredtherebetween. Accordingly, both the longitudinal and lateral driveshafts 26, 30 rotate at substantially the same rotational velocity. Inanother embodiment, both the longitudinal and lateral drive shafts 26,30 include a worm gear 52 attached to an outer surface of each driveshaft. In yet another embodiment, the gear assembly 28 includes at leastone gear that operatively connects the longitudinal drive shaft 26 tothe lateral drive shaft 30 to indirectly transfer rotational power fromthe longitudinal drive shaft 26 to the lateral drive shaft 30. In anembodiment, the gear assembly 28 includes a multiplier (not shown)operatively connecting the longitudinal and lateral drive shafts 26, 30,wherein the multiplier produces an increased rotational ratio such thatthe lateral drive shaft 30 rotates at an angular velocity that isgreater than the rotational velocity of the longitudinal drive shaft 26.In another embodiment, the gear assembly 28 includes a reducer (notshown) operatively connecting the longitudinal and lateral drive shafts26, 30, wherein the reducer produces an reduced rotational ratio suchthat the lateral drive shaft 30 rotates at an angular velocity that isless than the rotational velocity of the longitudinal drive shaft 26. Itshould be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that any numberof gears can be positioned between the longitudinal and lateral driveshafts 26, 30 to transfer rotational power therebetween.

In an embodiment, the snow thrower 10 also includes a baffle 54positioned within and attached to the housing 18 such that it surroundsthe opening to the recess 20, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The baffle 54 is anarcuate, or curved member having a radius of curvature that issubstantially the same as the radius of curvature of the opening to therecess 20. In an embodiment, the baffle 54 includes a plurality of tabsthat are welded to the housing 18. In another embodiment, the baffle 54is directly welded to the housing 18. In yet another embodiment, thebaffle 54 is releasably connected to the housing 18 by way of bolts orother releasable mechanical connectors. In a further embodiment, thebaffle 52 is integrally formed with the housing 18. The baffle 54 isconfigured to assist in reducing or restraining the amount of snow thatis re-circulated within the housing by preventing snow from leaving therecess 20 via radial movement from the impeller 44, wherein the baffle54 directs the snow back into the impeller 44 of the second stageassembly 42 to be expelled via the chute 16. The baffle 54 can be madeby any resilient material such as steel, aluminum, or any other type ofmetal or hard plastic that can withstand the stresses and temperatureconditions of the snow thrower 10. In an embodiment, the baffle 54 isformed about the entire opening to the recess 20 of the housing 18. Inanother embodiment, the baffle 54 is formed to extend from only aportion of the opening to the recess 20. In the illustrated embodiment,the baffle 54 is formed about one-fourth (¼) of the circumference of theopening to the recess 20, or about 90° of the opening to the recess 20.When the baffle 54 extends from less than the entire circumference ofthe opening to the recess 20, the baffle 54 is positioned immediatelyadjacent to the exit aperture 56 of the recess 20 wherein the snow exitsthe housing 18 and enters the chute 16 so as to assist in reducing there-circulation of snow immediately adjacent to the exit aperture 56. Thechute 16 is attached to the recess 20 of the housing 18 and extends fromthe exit aperture 56

The longitudinal drive shaft 26 is powered by the power supply 12 suchthat the longitudinal drive shaft rotates between about 50 to about 1500RPM. The rotational power of the longitudinal drive shaft 26 istransferred to the lateral drive shaft 30 by way of the gear assembly28. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the gear assembly 28 isconfigured to transfer rotational power from the longitudinal driveshaft 26 to the lateral drive shaft 30, whereby the lateral drive shaft30 can rotate at the same rotational velocity as the longitudinal driveshaft 26, a slower rotational velocity relative to the longitudinaldrive shaft 26, or a faster rotational velocity relative to thelongitudinal drive shaft 26. As the augers 34 of the first stageassembly 32 rotate about a lateral rotational axis, these augers 34break up the accumulated snow and ice and push this loosened snowaxially toward the gear assembly 28 positioned near the center of thehousing 18. In combination with the forward movement of the snow thrower10, the paddles 40 attached to the augers 34 of the first stage assembly32 push the loosened snow rearwardly toward the impeller 44 of thesecond stage assembly 42. As the loosened snow is pushed into the secondstage assembly 42, the impeller 44 rotates at a sufficient rotationalvelocity to push or throw the snow in a radially outward manner throughthe chute 16 and away from the snow thrower 10. The baffle 54 reduces oreliminates re-circulation of the snow within the second stage assembly42, thereby increasing the efficiency of the snow thrower 10.

Rotation of the augers 34 of the first stage assembly 32 causesaccumulated snow and ice to break up and become more easily moveablewithin the housing 18. The axial rotation of the augers 34 incombination with the rotation of the paddles 40 which assist in pushingloosened snow rearward within the housing 18 pulls the snow and ice intothe housing 18, thereby reducing the amount of forward or longitudinalthrust that must be applied to the snow thrower 10 by the operator. Therotation of the augers 34 and paddles 40 of the first stage assembly 32also generates a forward thrust that reduces the possibility of loss ofdrive traction of the wheels and “ride up” in which the wheels stay onthe ground while the housing raises up by itself.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed, it should be understood that the present invention is not solimited and modifications may be made without departing from the presentinvention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appendedclaims, and all devices, processes, and methods that come within themeaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intendedto be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A two-stage snow thrower comprising: a power supply; a housing extending from said power supply; a chute extending from said housing from which snow is thrown from said housing; a longitudinal drive shaft positioned at least partially within said housing, said longitudinal drive shaft being rotatable by said power supply and extending from said power supply to a gear assembly; a lateral drive shaft operatively connected to opposing side walls of said housing, said lateral drive shaft also operatively connected to said gear assembly, wherein said longitudinal drive shaft is rotatably connected to said lateral drive shaft within said gear assembly; a first stage assembly including at least two augers operatively connected to said lateral drive shaft, wherein at least one of said at least two augers is positioned adjacent to both opposing sides of said gear assembly; a second stage assembly for expelling said snow from said housing includes an impeller operatively connected to said longitudinal drive shaft; and at least one paddle operatively connected to each of said augers positioned adjacent to opposing sides of said gear assembly.
 2. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 1, wherein said longitudinal drive shaft includes a first worm gear formed into an outer surface thereof and said lateral drive shaft includes a second worm gear formed into an outer surface thereof, said first and second worm gears meshingly engaged within said gear assembly.
 3. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 1, wherein each of said paddles extends from said auger at an angle.
 4. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 3, wherein said angle is between about 10°-90°.
 5. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 1, wherein each of said paddles extends from said auger in an upstream orientation.
 6. A two-stage snow thrower comprising: a power supply; a housing extending from said power supply; a chute extending from said housing for allowing snow to be expelled from said housing through said chute, wherein said housing includes an exit aperture from which said chute extends; a longitudinal drive shaft positioned within said housing, said longitudinal drive shaft being selectively rotatable by said power supply and extending between said power supply and a gear assembly; a lateral drive shaft rotatably connected to opposing side walls of said housing, said lateral drive shaft operatively connected to said gear assembly, wherein said longitudinal drive shaft is rotationally connected to said lateral drive shaft; a first stage assembly including two augers operatively connected to said lateral drive shaft, wherein each of said augers is positioned adjacent to opposing sides of said gear assembly, each of said augers is formed of a base and at least one flight extending radially outward from said base, wherein said at least one flight being helically shaped relative to said lateral drive shaft; a second stage assembly including an impeller positioned within said housing and operatively connected to said longitudinal drive shaft; and at least one paddle operatively connected to a peripheral edge of each flight of said augers.
 7. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 6, wherein each of said paddles extends from said corresponding flight at an angle.
 8. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 7, wherein said angle is between about 10°-90°.
 9. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 6, wherein each of said paddles extends from only a portion of said peripheral edge of said corresponding flight.
 10. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 6, wherein each of said paddles extends from a downstream-most corner of said corresponding flight.
 11. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 6, wherein said housing includes a recess in which said impeller is positioned, said recess having an opening directed toward said gear assembly.
 12. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 11 further comprising a baffle extending from at least a portion of said opening.
 13. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 12, wherein said baffle is positioned adjacent to said exit aperture.
 14. A two-stage snow thrower comprising: a power supply; a housing extending from said power supply, said housing includes a recess and said recess having an opening thereto; a chute extending from said housing for allowing snow to be expelled from said housing through said chute; a longitudinal drive shaft having one distal end operatively connected to said power supply and a second distal end operatively connected to a gear assembly, said longitudinal drive shaft being selectively rotatable by said power supply, wherein said longitudinal drive shaft includes a first worm gear adjacent to said second distal end; a lateral drive shaft having a second worm gear and rotatably connected to opposing side walls of said housing, said lateral drive shaft operatively connected to said gear assembly transversely with respect to said longitudinal drive shaft, wherein said first worm gear of said longitudinal drive shaft is operatively connected to said second worm gear of said lateral drive shaft for transferring rotation of said longitudinal drive shaft to said lateral drive shaft; a first stage assembly including at least two augers operatively connected to said lateral drive shaft between said gear assembly and each of said opposing side walls of said housing, each of said augers is formed of a base and a plurality of flights extending radially outward from said base and oriented helically relative to said lateral drive shaft; a second stage assembly including an impeller positioned within said recess and operatively connected to said longitudinal drive shaft; and a paddle operatively connected to a peripheral edge of each flight of each auger positioned immediately adjacent to said gear assembly.
 15. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 14, wherein each paddle extends from said corresponding flight at an angle therefrom.
 16. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 15, wherein said angle is between about 10°-90°.
 17. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 14, wherein each paddle extends from only a portion of said peripheral edge of said corresponding flight.
 18. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 14, wherein each of said paddles extends from said flight in an upstream orientation.
 19. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 14, wherein each of said paddles extends from a downstream-most corner of said corresponding flight.
 20. The two-stage snow thrower of claim 14 further comprising a baffle extending from said opening to said recess adjacent to said chute. 